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Hektoen International An International Humanities Journal: Uniting Health and Medicine with Culture An International Humanities Journal: Uniting Health and Medicine with Culture.

In defiance of a Congressional ban against inoculation, General George Washington issued an order on February 5, 1777 to...
10/16/2026

In defiance of a Congressional ban against inoculation, General George Washington issued an order on February 5, 1777 to inoculate the entire Continental Army against smallpox. The first mass inoculation in military history, Washington’s order saved the army from destruction and the Revolution from collapse, but also thousands of civilian deaths. https://bit.ly/3UuX181

The story of curing Tobit’s blindness with fish bile may be less miraculous and more consistent with contemporary medica...
10/15/2026

The story of curing Tobit’s blindness with fish bile may be less miraculous and more consistent with contemporary medical practice. Some attribute Tobit’s infection and blindness to a form of conjunctivitis, Chlamydia trachomatis, prevalent in the Middle East in both ancient and recent times. Despite the irritating factors of bile (or perhaps because of it, in homeopathic terms), it remained a treatment for bacterial trachoma in the eye for over two thousand years. https://bit.ly/3VE6U3z

George Washington, at age 51, found his vision failing. He called on David Rittenhouse: “I have sent Mr. Rittenhouse the...
10/14/2026

George Washington, at age 51, found his vision failing. He called on David Rittenhouse: “I have sent Mr. Rittenhouse the Glass of such Spectacles as Suit my Eyes, that he may know how to grind his Christals.” Rittenhouse (1732-1796), who built the first telescope in America and was the first director of the US Mint, sent Washington 2 pairs of spectacles, for which Washington thanked him: “The Spectacles suit my eyes extremely well.” https://bit.ly/4zuMNnc.

Gaetano Donizetti caught the Great Pox as student in Bologna. The first symptoms of his venereal disease appeared in 182...
10/08/2026

Gaetano Donizetti caught the Great Pox as student in Bologna. The first symptoms of his venereal disease appeared in 1828 at age 31.He died in 1846 and an autopsy confirmed cerebrospinal syphilis. https://bit.ly/4rNmVAa

A recent review of 13 studies involving 3,951 patients has cast doubt on the diagnostic accuracy of earlobe creases for ...
10/07/2026

A recent review of 13 studies involving 3,951 patients has cast doubt on the diagnostic accuracy of earlobe creases for detecting active coronary disease. More likely, an earlobe crease is simply another independent marker for identifying individuals at elevated cardiovascular risk, alongside features such as age and gender. http://bit.ly/46WnDl6

In the Fall 2026 issue of Hektoen International, we honor the sacrifice of those who came before us. In celebration of t...
10/07/2026

In the Fall 2026 issue of Hektoen International, we honor the sacrifice of those who came before us.

In celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, learn more about George Washington's vision issues, his deadliest enemy, and his last days, as well as physicians of the Revolution, the forgotten Founder, and other fascinating views into US history.

Finally, thank you to all who submitted to the 2026 Hospitals of Note Essay Contest. Winners will be announced in the coming weeks. We're excited to share these deep dives into hospital history with our readers!

Read the full issue free at hekint.org

Sir William Osler has been called the father of modern medicine. He was the “compleat” physician, a scientist and humani...
10/06/2026

Sir William Osler has been called the father of modern medicine. He was the “compleat” physician, a scientist and humanist, and he exerted an immense influence on the medical world of his time. He was also called “a physician of two continents,” and his name is honored as much in England as in America. http://bit.ly/4AIh1o1

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights portrays the character Catherine Earnshaw as enthralled by an all-consuming, passionate...
09/29/2026

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights portrays the character Catherine Earnshaw as enthralled by an all-consuming, passionate, insurmountable, and destructive love. But is love really the root cause of her tragic death? https://bit.ly/3V7c483

Does the beguiling woman in the Johannes Vermeer’s legendary Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) have syphilis? A visible e...
09/28/2026

Does the beguiling woman in the Johannes Vermeer’s legendary Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) have syphilis? A visible early-stage chancre on her lip, and sparsity of eyelashes and eyebrows indicate the possibility. https://bit.ly/4AwURVQ

LAST CALL: The 2026 Hospitals of Note Essay Contest ends in one week!Submit your article on a hospital's history or inno...
09/24/2026

LAST CALL: The 2026 Hospitals of Note Essay Contest ends in one week!

Submit your article on a hospital's history or innovations by 11:59 PM CST on October 1, 2026 to be considered for the $5,000 grand prize. We're excited to read your work!

https://hekint.org/2026-hektoen-essay-contest/

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